1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to free-weight exercise, pushups, and portable exercise devices.
2. Description of Prior Art
This invention allows persons (hereinafter, "exercisers") who exercise by performing pushups, reverse tricep pushups,and other exercises in which the exercisers lift their own body weight (hereinafter, "calisthenics") or by lifting barbells and other weights which are not connected to chains, wires, pulleys or machines (hereinafter, "free-weights") to obtain better and more complete muscular development more quickly and efficiently.
This invention also helps exercisers who are unable to do any or more than a few pushups to do pushups and to improve their ability to do pushups, while allowing exercisers to use the same device to exercise their back and arm muscles by doing lat pulls/rowing.
Thus, this invention will aid both exercisers who use free-weights (hereinafter, "weightlifters") and exercisers who do calisthenics or otherwise want to exercise without weights and without complex or cumbersome exercise machines. Several embodiments of this invention are also portable, relatively inexpensive, and relatively simple and easy to manufacture, use, and maintain.
One drawback of performing calisthenics or using free-weights is that the downward force remains constant throughout the entire exercise stroke. Because the angle, force and torque of the muscles being worked varies during the exercise stroke, there is generally a portion of the exercise stroke (the "weakpoint") through which the muscles are not able to lift as much weight as during the remaining portion of the exercise stroke (the "strongpoint"). This creates a problem because: (1) sometimes persons doing calisthenics, such as pushups, are unable to lift their body weight through the weakpoint, or, in some cases, through any portion of the exercise stroke; and (2) often the amount of weight weightlifters should use through the strongpoint is too much to lift through the weakpoint, while the amount of weight weightlifters can lift through the weakpoint is too little to sufficiently stimulate the muscles through the strongpoint.
The traditional solutions for exercisers doing calisthenics or using free-weights are: (1) not to do the exercise; (2) to use their bodyweight (for calisthenics) or an amount of weight proper for the strongpoint (for free-weight exercise), but stop the exercise stroke before reaching the weakpoint, that is, to do-only a portion of the exercise stroke; or (3) to perform the entire exercise stroke, but to do fewer repetitions (for calisthenics) or use less weight (for free-weight exercise) than the proper amount for the strongpoint, that is, to stop exercising before the muscles used through the strongpoint are fully exercised. The problem with solution (1) is that the exerciser is deprived of the benefits of that exercise. The problem with solution (2) is that the exerciser does not exercise through the weakpoint and therefore obtain less overall development and less or no development of any muscles that are exercised only through the weakpoint. The problem with solution (3) is that the exerciser obtains less development of the muscles used through the strongpoint.
One attempt at solving the weakpoint problem has been through the use of variable-resistance machines which use weights, cables, pulleys, air pressure or hydraulics (hereinafter "exercise machines"). However, many exercisers continue to do calisthenics and free-weights instead of using exercise machines for many reasons, including: (1) balance is developed when doing calisthenics and using free-weights, but not when using exercise machines; (2) exercise machines have friction generating parts which result in unwanted variation in resistance depending on the age of the machine, how well oiled it is, how tight the bolts are, etc.; (3) calisthenics require little or no equipment and can be done almost anywhere; (4) machines are usually bigger, heavier, more cumbersome, less versatile, and more expensive than free-weights; (5) many exercisers have found or at least believe that calisthenics and free-weight exercise develop power and strength better and more quickly than exercise machines; (6) exercise machines often restrict the path to be followed during an exercise motion, often to an unnatural path, resulting in less efficient muscle development, discomfort, and even injury, especially for exercisers with very short or very long limbs; (7) many weightlifters train for contests in which free-weights are lifted, such as powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting contests, and using free-weights allows them to better duplicate the contest movements; and (8) many schools and training programs incorporate calisthenics and free-weight exercise into their routines.
Exercisers would therefore benefit from an invention that will allow them to: (1) more easily and efficiently do calisthenics and exercise with free-weights; and (2) do calisthenics and use flee-weights while still properly stimulating their muscles through both the weakpoint and the strongpoint. The invention would be even more valuable if it was portable, relatively inexpensive, and relatively simple and easy to manufacture, use, and maintain.